May 7, 1999 -- Today, 8th District Congressman Mike Capuano toured the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School and the King Open School to celebrate National Teacher Appreciation Week. The two elementary schools share the same building, located on Putnam Avenue in Cambridge.

Congressman Capuano began his visit with a tour of the schools' offices, library and computer labs. He sampled the fare in the school cafeteria and then joined an 8th grade civics class. The students asked a variety of questions about Representative Capuano's responsibilities in Congress.

He then visited many of the schools' primary classrooms, including a two-way bilingual Chinese class. The students entertained the Congressman with songs they had learned in Chinese. All students in grades K-3 receive instruction in Mandarin for thirty minutes each day. Congressman Capuano concluded his visit with a flag presentation to student leaders.

"These visits provide firsthand knowledge of programs and activities in place throughout the 8th district. I very much enjoy spending time with teachers and students and learning about the issues that are important to them," stated Congressman Capuano.